


Night Watch

by Hamiltonian



Category: Final Fantasy X
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 07:40:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1974501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiltonian/pseuds/Hamiltonian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young Tidus tests his new guardian's commitment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Watch

He calls out to him one night, with a cry sharp and meant to sound distressed. Auron appears in the doorway almost immediately, the glazed look in his eyes betraying the fact that it was only muscle memory which spurred him on with such rapidity.

"What is it?"

"There's something in my closet."

The fog is gone from his gaze as Auron regards him sharply, looking at Tidus with an intensity that is completely inappropriate to cast upon a young child. When he speaks again there is no condescension in his words, as adults usually lace into situations such as these. 

"You don't believe that."

Not even five minutes and he's seen through the charade. It makes Tidus start guiltily in bed, to be found out that quickly. The surprise quickly turns to petulance as he affixes him with a sullen gaze, refusing to budge from his lie.

"You said you were here to protect me."

Tidus has always known exactly what to say to inflict maximum damage when it comes to adults, and it brings him a small twinge of satisfaction to see the older man's frown deepen as if he'd been struck. Obviously he wasn't expecting to be facing such a challenge at three in the morning.

The silence stretches between them for what feels like an eternity, nothing but the soft rhythm of breathing splitting the night. Then Auron nods brusquely and turns on his heel, striding down the hallway - and for the briefest of moments Tidus truly believes that he's won this conflict without a real fight. The elation is quashed when, as if he'd read his thoughts, Auron returns to the room again, this time with sword in hand.

He settles himself down on the floor without another look in the boy's direction, sword resting across the peaks of his knees and gaze locked on the closet door. The conversation is over without any time for Tidus to protest; his only options now are to admit defeat or go back to bed.

He fights off his drowsiness for what he imagines is an admirable stretch of time, covertly glaring at Auron through the safety of his blankets. No matter what promises had been made, he's absolutely convinced that the man won't stay through the entirety of the night just because he'd been asked to. No one would.

 

The sun teases him awake, light creeping into the room as if mocking Tidus' inability to remain conscious for a pathetic handful of hours. As his mind clicks into gear his eyes are flung open and immediately hone in on his closet...and the figure in red still bracing himself against the dresser, awake and alert.

Instinctively his mind flies to skepticism, casting about for any way to explain Auron's continued presence in his room. It's impossible for him to have been here the entire night - he must have left once Tidus had drifted to sleep and returned at sunrise. It's the only scenario that fit while preserving his cynical expectations, something which is suddenly absolutely vital. He doesn't want to be wrong, not now.

A soft groan pulls him away from the turmoil of his thoughts and back to reality. Auron is stretching lightly, shaking out muscles that have no doubt seized up from time spent motionless. There's a bizarre stiffness to his motions that can't be explained away completely by his uncomfortable position, an offness which puzzles Tidus until he catches sight of a different shade of red beneath the man's coat.

He'd forgotten. In the chaos of his mother's death, the funeral he'd tried to run away from, he'd forgotten that Auron had arrived with bandages beneath his armor and still grimaced when he thought his charge wasn't looking. Hours playing guard dog for an ungrateful brat couldn't have done any good for what lay beneath the gauze.

Shame curls into Tidus' stomach, hot and insistent. He can't stand to stare at Auron any longer and flips over violently, the motion too sharp to be played off as the tossing and turning of a young child.

Auron notices, of course. It elicits a deep sigh from him, the sound relieved at having finally reached the end of his duty. Tidus would be waking soon (he assumes) and he can finally hobble off to assess the damage the night had incurred. He pauses at the foot of his bed, as if to make sure that he's still in one piece, and then retreats down the hall.

Beneath the covers, Tidus fights a losing battle against his tears.


End file.
